Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has embarked upon Rs 1,034 crore project to ensure supply of safe drinking water in 2,481 villages in the next two years.

With this, all villages in the state will get potable drinking water, an official spokesman said here on Sunday.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has already directed officers of the water supply and sanitation department to give priority to provision of safe drinking water and told them that funds would not be a problem.

By already covering 10,025 villages and habitations, Punjab has emerged as the leading state in providing safe and clean drinking water to the people, he said. Similarly, the efforts of the state government have resulted in providing safe drinking water in 1,925 villages partially.

For supply of safe drinking water to people, the SAD-BJP government had spent Rs 1,424 crore in 7,244 villages during the last five years, he added.